To make a good day even better, pick up this 2005 Dream Series from Gerald Sheppard for a spin around town. Number two in the series, this Grand Auditorium marries a slinky bass response with cracklin’ trebles and fierce projection. Part of that comes from the combination of Carpathian Spruce and African Blackwood: the rest comes from Gerald’s tone sculpting genius and a few years’ playing to open up.

Striking sapwood in the Blackwood is bookmatched across the back and headstock, creating a rich contrast of dark and light. There’s just a hint at the bottom of the rosette as well. Over the fretboard extension you’ll find a Tom Ellis floral design inlaid in Mother of Pearl. Gold-and-Ebony Gotoh 510s, Cedar Creek case, Venetian Cutaway—ask, and you shall receive. Give us a ring for an in-hand description of the smooth-as-sin string balance and rich basses on this Dream Machine from Gerald Sheppard.

Mike Byle’s Sifel Creek Guitars have been cooking up splendid guitars for years now, and recently sent us two beauties which he’s had in his shop as show models for a few years now. This, his 15.5″ Cutaway, is done up in a pretty set of Madagascar Rosewood for the back and sides and a Sitka Spruce top with some gorgeous alternating color across the grain. Set up for a nimble left hand, this guitar plays like milk chocolate tastes: absolutely smooth.

Dynamically voiced by Byle, the responsiveness of the 15.5″ Cutaway manages to strike a balance between a delicate touch and a more aggressive attack, meaning that soft passages sound full-figured and delicate but when you need to dig in for some extra snap (say, for a Funk-Blues bass line), the voice cranks up to volume 11 with ease. Craving overtones in your trebles? These unwound strings are adorned with a subtle array of overtones which blossom a moment after the fundamental response.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find another guitar so exquisitely balanced. Although this guitar was built in 2010, it’s enjoyed a posh existence in Mike’s shop, and as such is still a brand new guitar (plus a few years of opening up).

Trebles have haunting overtones, very bell like and clear. Paired up with a warm midrange and bottom end thanks to the Redwood top, and throw in a few years’ music to make it sing, and the result is this wide open fingerstyle GA-C from Jason Simpson. This beauty comes to us from 2005 and has opened up handsomely, is trimmed out with Bloodwood appointments to set off the Ziricote body and Redwood top, and is outfitted with a B-Band pickup system to carry you into amplified territory. All wrapped up in a Cedar Creek case.

Other keywords: fingerstyle, 024, ziracote, red wood, petteway, grand auditorium, cutaway

Here’s a wonderful Grand Auditorium from Luthier Jason Simpson of Texas. Featuring a cutaway and custom flower inlay on top of the classic combination of Indian Rosewood and Engelmann Spruce. Cocobolo bindings envelop this beautiful instrument and complete the elegant look. The tone is clear and beautiful, excellent for fingerstyle play.